Madame Danglars seeks help in dealing with the Andrea scandal. She first attempts to see Debray, who remains unavailable to her. She then goes to see Villefort. She begs him to let Andrea quietly escape arrest or, if he is caught to let the trial wait for several months, giving the Danglars family enough time to rebuild their reputation. Villefort refuses, claiming that he is 'the law' and must honour it. The chapter ends with Villefort receiving the news that Andrea has been caught.

Discussion Prompts:

1. What do you think of a Eugenie/Debray match? What do you think about Debray now that we know he's been considering the match for a long time?
2. Do you think Debray would help Madame Danglars?
3. Do you think Villefort hesitated before crashing the wedding to try to arrest Andrea?
4. Do you think letting Andrea escape/pushing the trial back will actually help the Danglars family reputation? Is Madame Danglars grasping at straws with this?
5. Do you think Villefort comes across as a bit overzealous in this chapter? Is he clinging to his job to avoid dealing with his own family problems?
6. Fun question: Out of all the characters, what couples would you like to see get together?

I think, in terms of personality, Franz and Haydee would make a good match.

Final Sentence:

'And here it is: it will be a fine session.'

The next reading discussion will go up on Monday.

Last reading discussion available here: Chapter 98 / XCVIII "The Inn of the Bell and Bottle" Reading Discussion (spoilers up to chapter 98) : AReadingOfMonteCristo (reddit.com)